CSIS Website Taken Down By Hackers Two Days In A Row

I’m beginning to wonder when the Canadian government will start to take Cybersecurity seriously. I say that because CBC news is reporting that the CSIS website was taken down by hackers for the second time in two days:

The denial of service attack comes on the heels of similar attacks two weeks ago on websites for the Senate, the Justice Department, CSIS and Canada’s electronic spy agency, CSEC.

This is embarrassing as CSIS happens to be Canada’s spy agency. As for who’s responsible…. Well, here’s what the same story said:

This time, someone called Aerith, associated with the Twitter handle @TWITRis4tards, is claiming responsibility for Monday’s and Tuesday’s attacks on the CSIS website as well as an attack on the Conservative Party’s website. Conservative.ca is now online again. 

“Yes I did the attacks. I have more planned,” said Aerith in an email to CBC News, adding that Aerith is a group, not an individual.

In terms of motive, Aerith said anti-terror Bill C-51 is one reason, as well as the ongoing trial of a 17-year-old Ottawa boy accused of making a series of fake 911 calls in Canada and the U.S., a practice known as swatting.

“He’s been framed,” Aerith said in an email. “I’ve shown evidence before and it’s fallen on deaf ears. So I’ll just get louder. Further attacks will be, we have something bigger planned.”

Aerith has also claimed responsibility for taking down Toronto and Ottawa police websites in the past.

Now denial of service attacks are not all that sophisticated. But you have to wonder if the government of Canada is unable to stop that sort of attack, what hope do they have when it comes to something far more sophisticated? And what does this Aerith person have planned going forward?

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